The drinking of beverages is an activity that frequently accompanies driving. Cup holders, insulated cola cups, and various non-spill cups have accordingly become a fixture in many motor vehicles. Among some drivers, heated beverages such as coffee or tea are favored. Insulated cups can be used to keep the beverage warm, but for long drives, such in long-haul trucking, the beverage will not stay warm over the duration of the drive. Various heated cups and cup warmers are available that plug into the cigarette lighter outlet, but many are inconvenient or unsafe to use. For example, the commonly used beverage heaters that are placed into the top opening of the cup will heat the beverage, but are inconvenient and hazardous. The heating surfaces are exposed, which presents the possibility of burning the user, melting the cup. In addition, in order to drink, the heater must be removed, which presents the dilemma of where to put the hot heating element without burning or damaging the user, the cup, upholstery, or etc.
Many non-heated insulated cups used currently by drivers are injection molded from low melting point polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like) and contact with any heating device will damage the cup. Thus, heating beverages in this popular cup with the currently available heaters is not possible or is impractical.
Heating plates and heating cups have been developed, but most of these suffer from one or more problems. These problems include (1) a hot surface of the heating element is exposed and it may be contacted by clothing, upholstery, or the user; (2) the cup or heating system is mechanically too complicated, increasing material and manufacturing costs so that it is not commercially viable; (3) operation of the heating system and cup requires undue attention from the driver, so is an unsafe distraction from driving; and (4) the heating system frequently has a long ungainly cord that can pull the cup over. In addition, for many beverage heaters, because the container itself is hot or because of the mechanical configuration of the container, the user cannot drink directly from the container. Thus, it is necessary to pour the beverage into a cup for drinking. However, once the beverage is in the new cup, it begins to cool and the warmth is not maintained over an extended period.